Paper dispenser



May 22, 1962 P. A. WOOSTER PAPER DISPENSER Filed Sept. 4, 1959 IN VEN TOR.

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P EdiV United States Patent O 3,035,785 PAPER DISPENSER Philip A. Wooster, 102 I St., San Rafael, Calif. Filed Sept. 4, 1959, Ser. No. 838,120 6 Claims. (Cl. 242-553) This invention relates generally to fixtures or devices for dispensing lengths of paper from paper rolls.

Devices for dispensing toilet paper and similar paper products in roll form when installed in public or commercial establishments require frequent servicing, particularly when constructed to hold a single roll. To minimize the cost of servicing, dispensers have been constructed which are charged with two rolls disposed one above the other, the second roll being held in reserve until the first roll has been used. One difiiculty with such devices as previously constructed is that they are relatively expensive, and they have not adequately prevented the unwrapping of unreasonable lengths of paper.

In general it is an object of the present invention to provide a paper roll dispenser which will hold more than one roll, and which will discourage malicious or careless removal of unreasonable lengths of paper.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved dispenser of the above type capable of holding more than one roll, but which is of relatively simple construction, capable of manufacture without undue expense, and which is simple to operate and service.

Additional objects and features of the invention will appear from the following description in which the preferred embodiment has been set forth in detail in conjunction with the accompanying drawing.

Referring to the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of my dispenser, with rolls of paper being indicated by dotted lines.

FIGURE 2 is a front view of the dispenser.

FIGURE 3 is a vertical section taken along the line 33 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 4 is a vertical section taken along the line 44 of FIGURE 1.

"FIGURE 5 is a detail taken as indicated by the line 5-5 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 6 is a detail of means for preventing rotation of a roll, taken as indicated by line 6-6 of FIG- URE 2.

In general the present invention consists of a back plate adapted to be fixed on a wall in vertical position, and which forms a mounting or support for the rest of the dispenser. Extending outwardly and affixed permanently to the back plate at right angles thereto, are two spaced arbors, each of which is adapted to extend through the hollow core of a paper roll to be dispensed. The outer ends of these arbors are adapted to carry a barrier or gate which prevents unauthorized withdrawal of an entire roll, or a spiral dribbling of the paper off the end of the roll. The spacing of the arbors is such that there is an unobstructed space between the rolls that is sufiicient to permit easy dropping of the paper ends therethrough, with each detachment of a piece. The attachment of the gate to the arbors is such that the gate can be released to permit the cores of used rolls to be stripped from the arbors, and new rolls applied. Means are provided to engage the rolls, whereby they are prevented from rotating about their axes, during normal usage.

Referring to the drawing, the dispenser illustrated consists of a back plate 2 adapted to be attached to a vertical wall by suitable means, such as screws. It can be formed of suitable material such as pressed sheet metal. At each end the strip 2 is bent forward at 90 to form an extension 4. These extensions terminate in short semicircular flanges 6, which are parallel to the back plate, and extend away from each other.

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Rigidly fixed on opposite sides of each extension, and extending therefrom substantially radially, are pairs of vanes or fins 7 and 8. Each pair is formed to have a fiat bottomed V section 9 as shown. These flat portions are spot welded or otherwise secured to the extensions 4, along their central regions. Tabs 11 on each of the inner pairs 7 and 8 can be spot welded or otherwise secured to the back plate whereby these vanes also serve as angle braces for the extensions, thus lending rigidity.

The vanes are so proportioned and arranged on the extensions that their outer edges lie in a cylindrical surface whereby the vanes and extensions constitute arbors for the reception of the hollow cylindrical cores of the paper rolls 13 and 14.

It is desirable to prevent abutting of the paper rolls against the back plate, and therefore the corresponding ends of the vanes are provided with tabs 16, which serve as limiting stops.

The arbor means described above may have suflicient frictional engagement with the hollow cores of the rolls to prevent rotation. However I prefer to provide separate means for this purpose, which engages slots formed in the ends of the rolls. Thus the forward end of the roll 13 is provided with a slot 1311, which accommodates the wedge shaped locking member 17. As will be presently explained, member 17 is mounted upon a part of the gate. The roll 14 similarly has its rear end provided with a radially extending slot 14a, which is engaged by the locking member 18. Member 18 is attached to the extension 4, near the back plate 2.

As previously stated barrier means is provided for preventing the paper from each roll from being pulled ofi axially in a spiral, and for holding the rolls upon the arbors while the rolls are being used. The particular barrier means illustrated consist of a hinge plate 26 which is fixed to the right hand flange 6, as by spot welding- A barrier bar or plate 27 is hinged to the plate 26 by hinged connection 28 whereby the gate may swing on a vertical axis. The free end of this gate serves to mount the roll locking member 17.

The dimensions and proportions of the parts are such that when the gate is swung to full open position in axial alignment with the right hand arbor, the paper roll 14 may be passed over the gate, thus facilitating the removal of a core or the application of a new roll, without entirely disconnecting the gate. When the gate is in the lowest position illustrated in FIGURE 1, the portion extending between the arbors is out of contact with the ends of the roll. This is accomplished by off-setting the gate forwardly in the regions indicated at 27a.

One end of the gate is provided with suitable latch or lock means for holding it closed during normal operation. Key operated means may be provided to release the latch and permit the gate to be opened for servicing. The suitable means illustrated for this purpose consist of a tapered lug 31 having a :notch 32 arranged to be engaged by latch '33, when the gate is closed. Latch 33 is mounted upon the pivot pin 34, and extends through a slot in extension 4, immediately behind the flange 6. The slot serves to prevent lateral movement of the latch and to limit its downward swing. A spring 36, connected between the latch and extension 4, urges the latch downwardly. The end of the latch may be raised to release the lug and gate by the bit of a suitable key inserted to the keyhole 37. To insure proper registration of the gate when closed, a stud 38 is mounted upon the free end of the gate and is accommodated within the opening 39 provided in the flange 6.

Operation of the device described above is as follows. Assuming that the back plate 2 is attached to a Vertical wall, the two arbor means extend horizontally. One

end of the gate is unlatehed, and the gate swung outwardly into alignment with the right hand arbor. Two paper rolls are now applied to the arbors, with the ends of the paper web 41 and 42, depending from the outer sides of the rolls. The radial slot 14a in roll 14 is engaged with the locking member 18, and when the gate is closed to the position shown in FIGURES 1 and 2, the slot 13a in the left hand roll 13, is engaged by the locking member 17. Thus both rolls are positively prevented from rotating about their axes. Lengths of paper may now be removed from either one of the two rolls. After a sheet has been torn from one roll, the remaining end of the paper is lifted up and over that roll, and permitted to drop through the space 43 between the rolls. It will be noted that this space is substantially unobstructed to permit this type of operation. When both rolls of paper have been used, the gate is unlocked from the left hand arbor, and swung outwardly, to permit removal of the remaining cores. Thereafter new rolls are applied as explained above.

This application is a continuation-in-part of my copending application Serial Number 482,120, filed January 17, 1955, and now abandoned.

'I claim:

1. A holder for twin rolls of paper having hollow cores comprising, a back plate having at two opposite extreme edges integral right angle extensions of the back plate, radially extending rigid fins fixed on each extension and constituting therewith an arbor for one of the rolls, means on said arbors for preventing rotation of the paper rolls thereon, and a gate connecting the free ends of the arbors.

2. A holder for twin rolls of paper having hollow cores comprising, a back plate having at two opposite ends integral right angle extensions of the back plate, each extension having on its free end an integral flange parallel to the back plate, radially, extending fins fixed on each extension between the back plate and flange and constituting with the extension an arbor to receive one of the rolls, a gate pivotally connected to one of the flanges, and locking means connecting the gate to the other flange.

3. A dispensing holder for two rolls of paper, where each roll consists of a paper strip having tear lines between sheet portions and wrapped upon a hollow core,

4 a back plate adapted to be secured in vertical position on a supporting wall, a pair of spaced arbors secured to the back wall and extending in a generally horizontal plane, said arbors being dimensioned to interfix the hollow cores of the rolls, means for holding the two paper rolls against rotation about the arbors, a gate extending between the arbo rs, and means for attaching the ends of the gate to the ends of the arbors that are remote from the back plate, said last means being manually operable for detachment and movement of the gate to an out of the way position for application of rolls to the arbors, said gate when normally attached forming a barrier extending between the arbors, the space surrounding each arbor and the space between the arbors being unobstructed whereby the end of a paper strip can be manually unwrapped from a roll and dropped through the space between the rolls to thereby hang from the roll for removal.

4. A dispensing holder as in claim 3 in which the means for attaching the ends of the gate to the corresponding ends of the arbors consist of a hinge connection between one end of the gate and the end of the corresponding arbor, and means for releasably locking the other end of the gate to the end of the other arbor.

5. A dispensing holder as in claim 3 in which the means for holding the two paper rolls against rotation about their arbors comprises a roll locking member adapted to engage a slot formed in one of the rolls and disposed adjacent the back plate, and a second roll locking member carried by the gate and adapted to engage a slot in the other roll.

6. A dispensing holder as in claim 5 in which the means for attaching the ends of the gate to the corresponding ends of the arbors consists of a hinge connection between one end of the gate and the end of the corre- 'sponding arbor and means for releasably locking the other end of the gate to the end of the other arbor, said second roll locking member being mounted on said other end of the gate.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,178,159 Holmes Apr. 4, 1916 2,517,809 Tarzian Aug. 8, 1950 2,555,531 Boord June 5, 1951 

